Me'Shell Ndegéocello is a stylisation of Meshell Ndegeocello, a pseudonym o… Read Full Bio ↴Me'Shell Ndegéocello is a stylisation of Meshell Ndegeocello, a pseudonym of Michelle Lynn Johnson (b. 29 Aug 1968) is a singer, bassist, and multi-instrumentalist. She was born Michelle Johnson to Army lieutenant (and saxophonist) father Jacques Johnson and her mother, Helen in Berlin, Germany.

Raised in Washington, D.C., Meshell Suhaila Bashir Shakur (as she became known) adopted the surname Ndegéocello, which means "free like a bird", while still in her teens. She has been hailed in the music press as a redeemer of soul music. Her music incorporates funk, soul, hip-hop, reggae, rock and jazz. She has been nominated for 9 Grammys. She has frequently toured with Lilith Fair.

Ndegeocello honed her chops on the D.C. Go-go circuit in the late 1980s before venturing out as a solo artist. She emerged as a recording artist in 1993 on Maverick Records/Sire Records with her debut, Plantation Lullabies. This recording presented a distinctly androgynous persona. Her music has been featured in a number of film soundtracks including How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Batman and Robin. She has also appeared on recordings by Basement Jaxx and The Blind Boys of Alabama, among others. Her biggest hit is a duet with John Cougar Mellencamp, a cover version of Van Morrison's Wild Night, which reached #3 on the Billboard charts.

Her singles If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night), Leviticus: Faggot, and her cover of Bill Withers Who Is He and What Is He To You? have all charted in the Billboard top 20. She sang background vocals on the song I'd Rather be Your Lover by Madonna, on her album Bedtime Stories. She also sang with Chaka Khan on the single Never Miss the Water, as well as providing her typical solid bass skills.

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Jabril
Me'Shell Ndegéocello Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I could no longer
Hope
Wish or dream
As I watched the blood
Pour from me
I call for Gabriel
But he will not come
There are no more angels left

To comfort thee
My life was not lost
In war
No spiritual rebellion
There is no surprise
I'm a victim of
Hate, fear and greed
Can you look my in my eye
Why
Have you slain me?

Forgive me lord
As I die in vain
No
You have no angels to comfort me
Forgive me
Forgive me lord
As I die
No
You have no angels to comfort me

Another day
Another day
I shall not see
I shall not see
Or feel the sun, and earth
Beneath me
I don't want to die alone
So afraid
Is this the hell
That your father's fear?

Forgive me lord
As I die in vain
You have no angels to comfort me
Say
I forgive you lord
As I die
Have you no angels
Have you no angels
To comfort thee?
Say have you no angels
Take me home

I was blind
But now I see
That your world's so fucked
That there are no more angels left
To comfort me

To comfort me
To comfort me

I forgive you lord

My lord
Forgive me
Forgive me
Forgive me
I was blind
Forgive me
But now I see
Yeah, yeah yeah
I was blind

My weary soul
Now I see.

Overall Meaning

The song "Jabril" by Me'Shell Ndegéocello is a powerful reflection on the tragic effects of hate, fear, and greed in our world. The song's narrator laments that they have lost all hope, wishes, and dreams as they watch their life slip away and call for the angel Gabriel, who does not come. The loss of angels is symbolic of the loss of compassion and care in our world, with the singer questioning why they have been slayed and left alone to die without comfort. As they face death, the singer asks for forgiveness and wonders if this is the hell that their father had feared, expressing a deep fear of dying alone and forgotten.

Line by Line Meaning

I could no longer
I lost all hope

Hope
Hopelessness

Wish or dream
I was unable to wish or dream

As I watched the blood
As I saw my blood on the ground

Pour from me
Leaving me bleeding uncontrollably

I call for Gabriel
I reached out for help

But he will not come
But help never came

There are no more angels left
No one came to help, I was alone

To comfort thee
To comfort me during my pain

My life was not lost
I was not lost to war or spiritual rebellion

In war
In a battle or conflict